Switch



Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH William E.Brown, David C. Redlck, and Carl E.

McWilliams, Anderson, Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 4, 1950,Serial No. 177,618

7 Claims.

This invention relates to key operated electric switches and moreparticularly to switches for controlling the ignition circuit and thestarter motor circuit of a motor vehicle, and if desired, controlanother circuit of the motor vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric switch withmanually operated means for moving a bridging member into a plurality ofcircuit closing positions and to provide means for automaticallyreturning the bridging member to a predetermined circuit closingposition when moved therebeyond by the manually operated means. Thisobject is accomplished by providing a terminal block with stationarycontacts, a post, a pair of abutments, a coiled spring about the posthaving its respective ends engaging the abutments under tension and arotary contact actuated by manually operated means into various circuitclosing positions. The rotary contact is provided with an extensionpositioned in such a manner so as to engage one end of a spring when therotary contact is moved beyond a certain closing position, and move itfrom its abutment to increase the tension of the spring to return therotary contact to the certain circuit closed position upon release ofthe manually operated means.

The construction and arrangement of the stationary contacts and therotary contact are so arranged that when the rotary contact is rtated bythe manually operated means to the limit of its movement in onedirection both the ignition circuit and the starter circuit of anautomotive vehicle are closed, and upon release of the manually operatedmeans when the starter circuit is closed, the rotary contact is movedautomatically in the opposite direction to open the starter circuitwhile the ignition circuit remains closed, the rotary contact willremain in the ignition closed position until the manually operated meansis actuated to open the ignition circuit.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the switch.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken online 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view to illustrate the different positions of the componentparts of the switch.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a contact support.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the contact support.

Figs. 8 and 9 are plan and side views respectively of a bridging member.

Figs. 10 and 11 are top and bottom views of the switch housing.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of a spring shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in itsnormal state.

Referring to the drawings 20 designates a casing or housing comprising areduced front cylindrical portion 2| and enlarged rear cylindricalportion 22. The reduced portion 2| has a bore 23 to receive a lockstructure preferably of the type including a lock casing 24 in which akey controlled lock cylinder of a known type is rotatably received. Thefront end of the lock cylinder is provided with a suitable opening 25for receiving a key to remove a bar, not shown, from a slot 26 so thatthe lock cylinder can be rotated in either direction of rotation todrive movable elements of a switch structure to a plurality of circuitclosing positions.

The movable elements of the switch are mounted. in the enlargedcylindrical portion 22 of the housing. In this instance the enlargedcylindrical portion 22 of the housing is provided with threecounterbores 30, 3| and 32 to provide shoulders 33, 34 and 35respectively. The shoulder 34 is formed with three spherical bosses 36.The bores 3| and 32 accommodate a contact driver or carrier 40 ofinsulating material.

The carrier 40 has a reduced portion 4| to form a shoulder 42 havingthree elongated grooves 43 and three recesses 44 formed therein. Theinner end of the carrier 40 is formed with a recess 45 and an extension46. The recess 45 is adapted to receive a lug while the extension 46 isadapted to extend into a recess formed in the rear of the lock cylinder,not shown, whereby the carrier 40 is driven by the lock cylinder whensame is turned by a proper key.

The rear face of the carrier which is located in the bore 3|, is formedwith three rectangular recesses 5| spaced 120 apart and three pockets orwells 52. The rear face of the support 40 is also formed with an annulargroove 53 and a counterbored central recess 54. The groove 53 and recess54 are spaced so as to form a skirt 55. The counterbored recess providesshoulder 56 and a well 51. The skirt 55 has a notch 58 formed thereinwhich extends from the rim of the skirt to the shoulder 56 to form ashoulder 60.

A bridging member or ring is provided with three spaced cup-shapedcontact elements 66, 61 and 68 pressed outwardly from one side by ingmember or ring 65 cooperate with a plurality of stationary contactelements supportect by aclosure or terminal block 12; Arstationary con--tact element B has an elongated cdntactisui'faca I3 flush with the innerface of the terminal block 12. The contact B has a shank extendingthrough the block 12 which is rivetedov'e'r a terminal plate 14 on theouter face of the blockwith:

which a connection with a battery is made. A stationary contact elementA likewise has an elongated contact surface. 15 and has ashank extendingthrough the block 12 which is riveted over a terminal plate 16 to-whicha. connection with an accessory unit is made.

A contact element Sfor-ms one-endof a terminal post 11 which extendsthrough the block 12 andhas its end riveted over a terminal plate-18which is in turn connected with a.- solenoid unit which controls. thestarting motor circuit. The contact element Ihas an elongated contactsur-- face |8 has a shank extending through-the block 12 which isriveted over a terminal plate 80 to which the ignition circuitv isconnected. It is to be understood that the inner surfaces ofthecontactsB, A, S and I are flush with'theinner face of the terminal block orinthe same .plane.

The terminal block 12 isprov-ided on its inner surface with a post orprojection 8| and a segmental skirt portion 82 to-provide a pair ofstationary abutments or stops 83 and; The skirt 82 extends into theannular groove 53 of the carrier 40 while the post 81 projects a certaindistance into the well 51 but. spaced from the bottom of the well topermit axial movement of the carrier relative. to the. block 12'. Acoiled spring 85 is. placed about thepost 8i andis tensioned so that itsends 86 and- BIwill bear against the stops or abutments 83 andrespectively. The left end of the spring as viewed in Fig. 4.-ex tendsinto the recess 64 acertaindistance so that the end 8! of thespring willbeinthepath of movement of shoulder 60 asviewed in Fig. 4.

The terminal block 12 is seated against a-yieldable washer 90 resting onthe shoulderv 33: The

block is secured within bore 30 by, deforming ears 9| of the housingagainst the block as at 82. The terminal block is. held againstrotationin the housing by having one-of.- the-ears 9| extending into acorresponding notch 9-3. provided in' the periphery of the block 10.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings the-switch elements are shown intheir normal off. position 660. The contact elements,- 6'! and 88.-ofthe contact ring 65 are designated by the. dash and dot triangle. Itwill be seen that the' point 66 is out of engagement with thebattery'termi nal B or contact surface 13'. When the-support 48 is'movedin a clockwise-direction 40 by, the proper key the contact elements66,..61; and 66 will be moved to position 666 to makeco'ntact engagement withstationary contact elements-B; A and I. When in this positionthe'threebosses 36 on the shoulder will extend into the-recesses H providedby the carrier-to hold thebridging member and carrier'in position 68b.When in 4 this position the shoulder 68 of skirt 6! will be in theposition, designated by 68 and the cupshaped elements 66, 61 and 68 willbe in engagement with stationary contacts B, A and I to close theignition circuit.

When the key is turned further to. move the carrier another 30 thecupped contact elements 66, 61 and 68 will be moved to the position 650.When the carrier is moved the latter 30 the shoulder will move the end81 of the spring 85 away from the shoulder 88 as indicated by 81 andthereby increase the tension of the spring 85:astfli'ezend 86 is heldfirmly against the shoulder 82.. Upon manual release of the key theoarrl'er is" rotated by the spring end 81 in acounterclockwise.direction until the spring end 81 again engages theshoulder 83. When that happens the recesses 44 will receive the bosses36 to hold yieldingly the carrier in the position b. When it is desiredto-open the ignition-circuit the carrier may be-moved in thecounterclockwise direction by the key to position.65a.

When the switch is in the off position the cup-shaped contact element 86is out of engagement with contact 3 thus the battery circuit is brokenand the key. can be removed from the cylinder, thus locking the device.

While the embodiment of. the present inventionashereindisclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed iswas follows:

1.. In acombined switoh and'lock structure the combination comprising;a. housing; a rotary loci: cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotarycontact carrier mounted in the housing for movement into 'aplurality ofcircuit closing positions; interlocking connections between the lockcylinder and the' carrier to transmit rotary movements from the cylindertothe carrier; manually operated meansfor actuating the look cylinder tomove thecarrier into various circuit closing positions; a closurefor.the housing, said closurehaving a' post. and a pair of abutmentsextendingintoi the housing; a spring coiled about the post with the endsthereof biased against respective: abutments; and an extension carriedby the contact carrier adapted to engage one of the spring endsto. moveit from its abutment whenlthe' contact carrier is moved beyond onecircuit :closing. position, said spring returningthe carrier to saidonce circuit closing position upon release: of the manually operatedmeans.

2-. In a combined switch and lock structure, in combination; a housing;a rotary lock' cylinder mounted within thehousing; a rotary contactormounted in the' housingfor movement intoa plurality of circuit closingpositions; interlocking connections between the cylinder and thecon'tactor to transmitrotary movements from the cylinder to thecontactor; operated means fo'ractuating the' cylinder to move thecontactor to various circuit closing positions; a closure for thehousing; a segmental skirt supportedby theclosure. within the housing,said skirt providing a pair of abutments; acentralized post provided byvthe closure extending within the skirt; a spring coiled about the postwith the ends thereof biased against therespective abutments; anextensionprovidedby the contactor and extendi'n'g between theskirt andpost and adapted to enga'ge an end-of'the springtomove it from itsabutmentwhen the oontactor is moved beyond one circuit position; saidsprint] returning the contactor to said one position upon manual releaseof the key.

3. In a combined switch and lock device the combination comprising; ahousing; a rotary lock cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotary contactsupport mounted in the housing for movement from an oiT position to aplurality of circuit closing positions; driving connections between thelock cylinder and the support to transmit rotary movement from thecylinder to the support; manually operated means for actuating thecylinder to move the support to various closing positions; a pair ofspaced abutments located within the housing; a post supported betweenthe abutments; a spring coiled about the post and tensioned so that eachend engages a respective abutment; an extension associated with thesupport and adapted to engage one end of the spring only in a circuitclosed position and for increasing the tension of the spring when thesupport is moved from one circuit closed position to another circuitclosed position, said spring returning the support to said one circuitclosed position when the manually operated means is released.

4. In a combined switch and lock structure the combination comprising; ahousing; a rotary lock cylinder mounted in the housing; a rotary contactsupport mounted in the housing for movement into a plurality of circuitclosing positions; interlocking connections between the cylinder and theother face of the support to transmit rotary movements from the cylinderto the lock; manually operated means for actuating the cylinder to movethe support into various circuit closing positions; a closure for thehousing having a segmental skirt portion and having a post disposedcentrally of the skirt; a spring coiled about the post so that the endsthereof are biased against respective ends of the skirt portion; and asecond segmental skirt portion carried by the contact support andpositioned so that one end thereof will engage one end of the spring toincrease the biasing force of the spring when the contact support ismoved past one circuit closing position, said spring returning thesupport to the one position upon release of the manually operated means.

5. An electric switch for controlling a plurality of circuits comprisingin combination; a fixed contact member; a movable contact member movablefrom an "01? position to a plurality of circuit closing positions; apre-tensioned spring operatively positioned between said members andonly effective in one of a plurality of circuit closed positions of saidmovable member; means for engaging said spring only when said movablemember is moved from one circuit closed position to another of saidclosed positions for further tensioning said spring, said springreturning said movable member to said one circuit closed position whensaid movable member is released.

6. An electric switch comprising a housing; a contactor memberassociated with the housing for movement into a plurality of circuitclosing positions; a pre-tensioned spring operatively positioned betweensaid housing and said contactor; means for engaging said spring only ina circuit closed position and for further tensioning said spring whensaid contactor member is moved from one circuit closed position toanother circuit, closed position, said spring returning said contactormember to said one circuit closed position when said contactor member isreleased.

7. An electric switch comprising a housing; a rotary contact carriermounted within the housing for movement from an off position to aplurality of circuit closed positions; a closure for the housing, saidclosure having spaced abutments extending into the housing; a coiledspring located between the abutments with the ends thereof biasedagainst respective abutments; means associated with the carrier forpicking up one end of the spring only in a circuit closed position andfor increasing the tension in said spring when the carrier is moved fromone circuit closed position to another circuit closed position, saidspring returning said carrier to said one circuit closed position whensaid carrier is released.

WILLIAM E. BROWN. DAVID C. REDICK. CARL E. McWILLIAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,462,777 Rappl Feb. 22, 1940 2,520,363 Heideman Aug. 29, 1950

